In the digital age, it is impossible to achieve your business goals without a full arsenal of business applications to support internal functions. Having the right tools enables your employees to extract the maximum value from data, improve process efficiency, reduce manual labor, and increase overall speed.
However, many organizations are struggling to equip their teams with the tools they need. This challenge can be boiled down to five main obstacles:
Lack of Capacity - IT developers are overwhelmed and unable to keep up with internal demand for custom applications.
Insufficient Budgets - Individual departments and teams often cannot afford to buy the necessary applications or hire experts to create the tools they need.
Old and Obsolete Systems - While there is a clear need to modernize outdated systems, delink them from business processes, and replace them with agile digital systems, this is annoying and expensive.
Skills gap: Non-technical business users ("unskilled employees") lack the knowledge and experience to build the code-intensive applications they require in their daily workflows.
Need for speed: Even with effective DevOps in place, the speed of development itself is often slow due to its complexity. As a result, maximizing developer productivity amid the growing demand for business applications is a huge challenge.
Fortunately, low-code platforms can handle all of the aforementioned challenges. For developers, "low code" capabilities allow them to work faster and more efficiently. For non-developers, "no-code" tools allow them to build, modify, and use business applications that meet emerging needs almost as soon as that need arises.
What is the low code?
Low-code is a language or environment that helps those with little programming experience create and develop software. Rather than code and complex back-end libraries, low-code uses visual models and drag-and-drop frameworks that open development to non-software developers.
For a simple metaphor: flat-pack furniture removes the need for the tools and knowledge needed to build furniture from scratch. Instead, use prepared parts, designed to work with simple tools and clear instructions.
Low-code does the same for software development.
The Low Code platform features.
Drag and Drop Interfaces: One of the biggest benefits of this development platform is that it has an easy and intuitive user interface where modules can be dragged and dropped as needed to build software. This means that very little coding is needed to make the modules work.
Visual Modeling is the ability to visually represent processes and models in code before finalizing the implementation. With a visual model to guide the developer, creating software through this tool is an easy process. So even people who are not familiar with hard code can create systems.
Security and Scalability: While a new application may have some scalability and security issues, a Low Code platform makes it easy to build secure and scalable enterprise software.
Advantages of LowCode
Limited Expertise in Coding Necessary
A low-code development platform is easy enough for most people with little or no coding knowledge. Citizen developers and non-tech-savvy users can utilize low-code/no-code platforms to build custom-designed products while avoiding some hand-coding tasks. If you are creative and know to use basic desktop applications with a mouse, you can create an enterprise-grade application on a low-code development platform.
The ease of use makes it easier to learn even if you don't have a lot of prior knowledge. The source code, which is generally written manually by developers, is generated automatically by intuitively arranging elements one after the other. However, it is still possible to make adjustments after the fact.
The learning curve is much simpler compared to traditional development technologies. The help files and live support offered by low-code development platforms ensure that understanding the capabilities of the platform is easier and faster.
Productivity And Time Saving
Low-code solution providers have a clear goal: to help everyone create new software quickly. With just a few clicks, users can create a page with a form. Put a few modules and views together and you have an app. The click, build, and test cycle is often fast enough for agile users to develop apps in real-time, as they are discussed. The good news is that the tools often do exactly what they promise. If the product meets your business needs, development may take less time to complete than it takes to build a good team of developers.
It is necessary to clarify that designing an application using manual coding is a very time-consuming operation. Indeed, it can take up to 18 weeks between the first phases of design until the deployment of the final version within the company. The low-code platforms, on the other hand, offer developers the possibility of creating a website or an application in just a few hours or a few days, depending on its complexity and onboard features. As a result, Low Code platforms significantly improve developer productivity and save the company a lot of time
Cost reduction:
Cost reduction is closely linked to saving time. The visual blocks available on low-code platforms are reusable and don't need to be reinvented every time. Thanks to the ease of use, you save the often expensive training courses for employees. There is also no need to hire a team of developers who will work for months on the development of the application, and who will have to be paid according to this time and their expertise. The no-code thus makes it possible to design a mobile application at an advantageous price.
Low-code, therefore, facilitates the programming of new software and gives professional results without requiring a long learning process. These are the main strengths that have made low-code development an attractive development method, both in terms of time and cost.
Disadvantages of LowCode
The complexity of maintenance
The weaknesses of low-code tools manifest themselves several years after data integration. Indeed, its users are asking for improvements, which can be complex on a low-code platform. In addition, developers do not have access to the source code. So, they are stuck in this "low-code" type of architecture.
Lack of customization
Finally, the point that most users of Low Code turn off is the lack of customization. Some platforms indeed lack flexibility. In addition to being difficult to configure, applications using the Low Code architecture are impossible to customize in most cases. In the case of a single Low Code platform, for example, all users have the right to the same themes and the same features.
In this sense, you will not be able to stand out from your competition. This lack of customization can also be a real problem for companies insofar as the models offered by the platforms cannot be changed, thus preventing specific needs from being met.
What features does Low Code platform development have?
Low Code is functionally different from traditional coding. It uses several methods to make application development easier and faster.
Ownership rights to created applications
The right of ownership over the applications created is also a point that discourages companies from opting for low-code. When an application is created from A to Z, its creator is the owner. By extension, manual coding allows companies to own all the rights relating to the designed application. As a result, they can exploit it as they wish, or even sell it to other companies.
However, entities opting for LowCode have limited rights. Indeed, LowCode platforms only offer companies the right to use the platform in question, and by extension, the applications created there. In this sense, if the LowCode platform is closed, it may happen that you can no longer use the applications that have been designed.
What are the best uses for low code?
It's hard to argue against the value proposition of a low code development platform, especially when it comes to developing a simple mobile app or website with a few basic features. The low costs and short lead times that this technique allows are extremely attractive.
That being said, they are not always a suitable alternative to custom or low-cost software development, as the trade-offs associated with their use could ultimately cost you and your business much more. to come up.
Low code development is particularly well suited to the following uses:
· Websites with complex functions;
· Websites with integration into lead acquisition processes;
· Prototypes of SaaS sites;
· PoC - Proof of Concept - of SaaS sites and/or Web and mobile applications;
· Business-oriented software;
· CRM, customer file management;
· Etc ...
Low Code Vs Traditional Development
What is traditional development?
It means sitting down and typing lines and lines of code, testing that code, modifying it, and so on until it is finished. Different assets may have to be referred to and linked to with the code as well.
This style of coding is typically reserved for large projects and is essentially creating an app or website from the ground up. It's a wonderful choice when you need something really durable and custom-designed for a certain purpose, or when you're seeking to make a significant leap ahead with a whole new product.
Traditional coding technology necessitates the involvement of front-end and back-end developers when developing an application. As a result, the development time is higher, and the budget required has increased as well. Using traditional code, therefore, you can create extremely sophisticated and totally customizable apps that are a perfect fit for your company.
However, due to its technical complexity, this type of development is more likely to create a higher number of bugs reported. In addition, the maintenance of such applications is much more complicated and takes much longer to be performed. Traditional coding problems are a significant reason why, despite the end result, many organizations have put off developing their own apps for so long.
Low code development and traditional development: When to choose which approach?
Based on your specific business requirements, you can choose one of these two for your next project. For one thing, custom software solutions are highly scalable and reliable. But on the other hand, low-code development is a relatively new concept with its own set of advantages and obstacles. Take one last call, it's not as difficult as it sounds!
It is recommended to opt for traditional development when you experience the following conditions:
- There are numerous entities involved with the business such as multiple functionalities, departments, segments, geographies, etc.
- A high level of customization is required when designing business workflows and it is challenging to cope with predesigned solutions.
- There is a great emphasis on the security, flexibility, and reliability of the business information involved.
- There is a high demand for legacy migration and third-party integration.
You can choose low-code development when you face the following conditions:
- Limited IT resources and it is difficult to discover dedicated resources that can contribute.
- Limited number of employees and a small infrastructure to serve.
- You are on a budget and it is extremely difficult to customize each requirement according to your specific needs.
- You are looking for small modifications in your business processes that are not too complex. Also, the need for third-party integration and data transfer is limited.